Frictional and positive clutch mechanism



Dec. 22, 1936. L HLAD K 2,065,224

FRICTIONAL AND POSITIVE CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed March 6, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 1 umTi III Aim.

Dec. 22, 1936.

FRICTIONAL AND POSITIVE CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed March 6, 1 936 2Sheets-Sheet 2 illllllfllllllllllilml L. HLADIK 2,065,224

I atented 22, 1 935 PATENT "orrics I 2.00am. FBICTIONAL 'AND POSITIVECLUTCH MECHANISM Ladislav mldlk, Pllsen, Czechoslovakia. aslignor tolimited Company, formerly the rSkoda Works, Plsen, Prague,Czechoslovakia, a corporation of Onechcslovakia Application March a, 1m,Serial No.

In Czechoslovakia March 5, 1935 g 7 Claims. (01; 192-53) This inventionrelates to an improvement'in a frictional and positiv clutch mechanismof the type forming part the device for starting ,auxiliary enginesparticularly those of locomotives, according to Patent No. 1,862,362.The invention has for its object an improved and simplified construction.of -a frictional andpositive clutch mechanism in general and of thedistributor for the pressure medium in particular, theconstruction beingsuch that the whole device can easily be'buiit into the narrow spacewithin the frame of the auxiliary engine and increased reliability ofoperation may'be achieved;

A slider may be used in conjunction with an auxiliary cylinder iorthecontrol of the pressure medium, which may be air, steam, oil or thelike; in this way therelative arrangement and the position oi.thecorresponding'or appropriate control conduits and the individualoperating positions of the slider when bringing the; auxiliary engineinto operation, and the moveinent of the slider from one position-to theother, are

controlled and carried out so that reliable engagement and disengagementoi the clawand frictiomcoupling is maintained, which is identical withthe procedure according to the Patent No. 1,862,362; The operation oftheengagement membentakes place entirely automatically and apart fromstarting the auxiliary engine it is not necessary to give any specialattention to the engagement operation. g A constructional example of theclutch mechanism according to the invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 shos the pressure medium distributor the accompanying drawings inwhich Hg.1 shows a part of the clutch mechanism consisting of the distributor forthe pressure medium,.the engagement cylinders, and the couplings; thepressure medium distributor and the engagement cylinders being-shown'inlongitudinal section, a g Fig. 2 illustrates a detail of the pressuremedium distributor in section and on a large scale,

'Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show schematically three characteristic positions ofthe parts of the clutch mechanism ustrated in Fig. 1.

- with the'slider' 8 in the uppermost position which it occupies duringthe periodwhile the auxiliary engineis out oi engagement and whileomessure medium is in the supply conduit 9 and both couplings, namelythe friction-coupling 1 and the cla'wwoupling l, are completelydisengaged.

The slider itself is shown on an enlarged scale in this position in Fig,2, i which position couplings 3 and lare disengaged,

The auxiliary engine is set in operation by engaging thefriction-coupling 3 and the clawcoupling 4. The friction-coupling 3 iscontrolled by the'piston 5 of an operating cylinder for thefriction-coupling, by means of a lever transmis- 5 sion and a spring i.The body I of the operating cylinder forms in the example illustrated anintegral whole with the body of the pressure medium distributor whichincludes the slider 8 and the auxiliary cylinder which latter are de- 10scribed below. By this arrangement important advantages are attained,since a body is obtained of considerably smaller size than when they areseparately constructed, and thus the whole arfore the same as that ofthe piston l2 .0! the auxiliary cylinder. The slider 8 is howeverloosely connected with the piston rod ll in such a manner that theslider 8 can move perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the pistonrod and it is pressed continually against the surface of the sliderchamber by means of a spring I. In this way also by making use of thecontacting surfaces of the slider and of the surface of theslider-chamber a permanent fluid tightness and consequently also areliable dis-. 5 tribution of thepressure medium is attained. a Threeconduits 15, l6, it open at the surface of the slider-chamber and arecontrolled by means of the slider 8 through the slider uncovering,

,- some oi the conduits to permit the pressure me- 40 dium, supplied bythe tubular conduit 9, 'to flow from. the' slider-chamber, while saidslider, through a recess l9 formed therein, also 'con- 'nects twoadjacent conduits together so that the pressure medium may pass from oneconduit di-' rectly into the other. In the constructional exampleillustrated, the upper conduit l5 connects the slider-chamber withtheoperating cylinder 6 of the claw-coupling l, the centre conduit l6 leadsto the atmosphere and the lower conduit I 8 leads through a throttleelement 20 to the cylinder to! the operating cylinder of thefriction-coupling I. From the conduit ii-or from -an extension thereofleads a branch 2! to the piston i! of the auxiliary cylinder.

to the front of the 4. In this position. of I It still remainsuncovered, so that the pressure medium-flows onunhindered to the -frontof the The cross-sectional area of the channel is determined by means ofthe member 20 at the time when practical tests are made with theauxiliary engine, the switch-on and switch-ofi' operations being takeninto account. The crosssectional area of the channel remains unchangedduring the entire operation of theauxiliary engine. V

In the position of the distributor illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, theslider 8 occupies its upper position. 1 In this position it connectsthrough its recess IS, the conduit l5 which leads to the operatingcylinder 6 of the claw-coupling, and the branch 2| thereof which opensinto the space of the auxiliary cylin front of the piston l2 inder,directly to the conduit I6 which opens into the atmosphere. The conduitI8 which leads into the space in front of the erating cylinder of thefriction-coupling 3 is not covered over, so that the pressure mediumwhich 'flows into theslider-chamber through the tubular conduit 9 canflow on through this conduit piston 5 of the operating cylinder of thefriction-coupling.

The whole device is schematically illustrated in Fig. 3 in the positionwhich it occupies .at the moment after starting the locomotivebooster,-that is to say after the pressure medium has been admittedthrough the tubular conduit 9 into the chamber of the slider 8. Sincethe conduit I8 is open the pressure medium flows past the throttleelement 20 to the front of the piston 5 of the operating cylinder of thefriction-coupling 3 and presses the piston 5 downwards so that thefriction-coupling 3 gradually engages under the influence of the levertransmission and the spring I. In the exampleillu'strated (Fig. 3) thefriction-coupling 3 is not yetengaged and} the slider 8 is in theuppermost position as beforei The conduit l5 which leads to theoperating cylinder 6 of the claw-coupling 4 is thus directly connectedto the conduit l6 and thereby, to the atmosphere and the claw-coupling 4is completely disengaged. On the piston 5 being further depressed,complete engagement of the friction-coupling 3 takes place andthetoothed pinion 2 of the steam engine begins to rotate with the samevelocity as the axle of the vehicle or-locomotive. In this last phaseof'the engaging movement of the piston 5, a forked end 22 of the levertransmission strikes against an abutment 23 on the slider or piston-rod.and slides the piston l2 of the auxiliary cylinder and thereby also theslider 8 into the mid-position illustrated in Fig. the slider 8 theconduit piston 5 and maintains the frictiom-coupling 3 engaged. Theupper conduit l5, however, is opened and thereby the passage of thepressure medium into'the operating cylinder 6 9! the clawfrictioncoupling is piston 5 of the op-- coupling 4 is permitted, the piston 24setin movement and the claw-coupling gradually engaged. At the sametime, however, the pressure medium forces its way through the branch 2|to the front of the piston i2 of the auxiliary cylinder, the spring I3in which is of such dimension relative to the spring 25 in the operatingcylinder 6 of the claw-coupling 4 and its tension so chosen, that thepiston l2 of the auxiliary cylinder and the slider 8 connected therewithbegin to move somewhat, later than the piston 24 of the operatingcylinder 6 of the claw-coupling 4. In this way the result is obtainedthat before displacement of the slider 8- from the in front of thepiston l2 of the auxiliary cylinder overcomes the pressure of the springi 3, the piston I2 is displaced together with the slider 8 connectedtherewith from the mid-position (Fig. 4) to the lower position which isshown in Fig. 5. In this position the conduit I6 is directly connectedwith the conduit l8 by means of the recess l9 in the slider 8 so thatthe pressure medium gradually leaks from the space in front, of thepiston 5' of the operating cylinder of the friction-coupling 3 past thethrottle element 20 into the outer air and the friction-coupling 3 isgradually disengaged. If at this time both' halves of the claw-coupling4 occupy the position shown in Fig. 4, that is to say, if they rest withtheir claws against one another, upon partial unloading of the frictioncoupling 3 a slow relative rotation of both halves of the clawcoupling 4takes place, and as soon as the claws arrive opposite the recesses thecomplete engage- Fig. 5 and uncovers the conduit l'l through which thepressure medium flows from theoperating cylinder 6 of the claw-coupling-4 to further devices not shown in the drawings which form part of thestarting device of the locomotive booster. Meanwhile, the pressuremedium leaks continually from the space in front of the piston 5 of theoperating cylinder of the friction coupling 3 into the atmosphere untilcomplete disengagement of this coupling takes place. 'I'hismechanismremains in this position, as illustrated in Fig. 5, during thewhole-duration of operation of the auxiliary engine.

If the operation of the auxiliary engine is discontinued, that is tosay, if the pressure medium is permitted to leave the tubular conduit 9;the pressure medium leaks through this tubular conduit into theatmosphere both from the operating cylinder 6 of the claw-coupling 4and'from the space in front of the piston l2 of the auxiliary cylinderand so on through the branch the slider 8. Conthe cylinder 6 is re- 1ocrating cylinder 5 of the claw-coupling ii. in

this trey the whole errangemeot is essentlslly simplified and itsreliability isccnsiderehly increased in comparison with otherarrangements. In the erreingementdescrihed the conduit iii is led roundthe whole body 5! only for the sake of cleerness in the drawings. Inpractice this conduit also is bored directiy'in the body 5 proper, 9,single tubular conduit onlc. lea-ding from the some to the operatingcylinder i5. it zo is obvious that the essence of the invention is in noway altered ii this device is carried into practice in wtvsy differentfrom that slescriced and illustrated provided that the essential ides,of the invention is retained.

I claim: v

1. Clutch mechanism comprising a irlction coupling and a claw coupling,pistons and cylintiers for operating said couplings by means of spressure medium and means for distributing said pressure mediumincluding a, chamber, means for admitting the pressure medium to saidchomber, conduits leading from the chsmioer to the coupling operatingcylinders and c couduitfllcedhug from the chamber to atmosphere, arecessed slider within ssid chamber endcdcpted to control the emergenceof the pressure medium therefrom and e, piston and cylinder controllirlgthe movements of the slider, said slider in one em treme positionadmitting ressure medium to the conduit leading to the frictioncoupling; operaticg cylinder end'plccing the conduit leading to theclaw-coupling operating cylinder into communicetion with the conduitoperate the atmosshore, in its intermediate position admitting pressuremedium to the conduits leading to both the friction and theclaw-coupling operating cylilnders, sod in its other extreme positionadmitting pressure medimn to the conduit leading to woolen-couplingoperating. cylinder and plac- 9 ing the conduit leading to the frictioncoupling operating cylinder into communication with the conduit open tothe atmosphere.

2. Clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1, and including a forkedlever-adapted to he moved 5 by the piston in the cylinder controllingthe-,op-

creation of the friction couplingand operating towards the end of thestroke of said piston to move the slider irom its upper position to itsintermediate position.

3. Clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1, and including a conduitadapted to permanently n connect the space between the pistonsndjcylinden controlling the movements of the slider, with the'condultleading from the chamber concomprising a unitary structure including"the piston controllingthe operistion of the friction s. Glut-chmechanism as e condui s oler COlltlDillllE the conduit item the chemhercontaining the slider to the claw-coupling opwctlngcylintier, and c,spring arranged within the slider con" trolling cylinder andsuctherspriug arranged within the claw-coupling controlling cylinder,

each spring operating on the piston in its ne um including a chamher,means for admitting the pressure medium to said Jclicmiter, conduitsleading from the chamber tdthe ccilpliug'opm rating cylinders and aconduit leading com. the chamber to the atmosphere, c recessed sliderwithin said chamber and-adapted to control the emergence of the pressuremedium therefrom, .3. piston and cylinder coutrolilngthe motes rents ofthe slider and it comes piston rod connecting said piston and slider,sold-slider in once trcme position admitting pressure medium totheconduit leading to the friction coupling operating cylinder and placingthe conduit lecdingto the clcw coupling operating cylinder into co m=municetion with the conduit open to the atmosphere, in its intermediateposition admitting pressure medium to the conduiw leading to tooth thefriction and the claw-coupling operating cylfinders and in itsotherexti' eme position admitting pressure medlum'to the conduit leadingto the claw-coupling operating cylinder and placing the conduit leadingto the friction coupling operating cylinder into communication, with theconduit open to the atmosphere.

c. Clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1 end.

comprising a. unitary structure includitlethe chamber for the slider,the cylihdcriiorthe' reception of the piston controlling moicmtlts ofsaid slider and thcc'ylinder for the reception oithe piston controllingthefiperstion oi the friction coupling. I. H

7. Clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1 and chamber for the slider,the'cylinder for the reception of the piston controlling movements ofsaid slider, the cylinder for the reception ofthe coupling and theconduits leading from the cioer for the slider to the said cylinders andto theiatmospherc.

